Cross-Section of Schooner Bertha L. Downs Amidships

This cross-section of the four-masted schooner gives a good idea of the great amount of lumber used to build a ship. Note that many of the timbers are 12" X 12" in section, and that most of the planking is 4" thick and ceiling lumber is 4" to 10" thick! Note how the hanging knee and stanchion provide structural support for the deck beam.

Image drawn by Sam Manning for the book The Schooner Bertha L. Downs, written by Basil Greenhill, 1995, p. 71.